Arab American Studies

Arab American Studies is the academic arm of the Center for Arab American Studies, which focuses on scholarship, research, and engagement with the Arab-American community in Dearborn and Metropolitan Detroit.

Faculty in Arab American Studies are actively engaged in research and scholarship on current issues facing Arab Americans as well as Arab American history and culture. As teachers, we seek to help students understand the role of Arabs in American society, the role of America in Arab society, and the vibrant interplay between them.

Minor Requirements

The Arab American Studies minor requires 15 hours of upper division coursework in Arab American Studies courses. Other disciplines offer courses relevant to the AAST minor. Students will be able to count one such course toward the minor with approval of the AAST faculty advisor by petition. For information about the degree or faculty advising, contact Dr. Sally Howell, Director.

Learn more about CASL Degree Requirements.  Check out the AAST 3-Year Plan.

Learning Outcomes

Students completing the minor in Arab American Studies will acquire knowledge concerning the following:

  1. Demonstrate a command of the broad range of diversity (gender, class, religion, race, length of time in the U.S., national origins, etc.) found within Arab American communities.
  2. Demonstrate a command of how the Arab American experience is shaped by local, national, and global conditions and relations.
  3. Demonstrate familiarity with Arab American aesthetic, social, religious, and political movements.
  4. Demonstrate familiarity with several different disciplinary approaches to the study of American race and ethnicity.